Lasting boots and shoes



2 ShetsSheet 1.

S s 0 R 0 0 LASTING BOOTS AND SHOES.

No. 333,606. Patented Jan. 5, 1886.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. O. CROSS.

LASTING BOOTS AND SHOES.

Patented Jan. 5, 1886.

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| l' l l I l l I I ll 1 I N. PETERS. Plmlo-Lilh UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM G. CROSS, .OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

LASTING BOOTS AND SHOES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 333,606, dated January 5, 1886.

Application filed October 21, 1885. Serial No. 180,535. (No model.)

To all whom it nay concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM C. CROSS, of Boston, Massachusetts, have invented a cer tain new and useful Improvement in Lasting Boots and Shoes, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement relates to that method of lasting in which the upper isstretched and drawn over the last by means of a temporary former, so-called for convenience sake' that is to say,a former through the instrumentality of which pressure is applied from the inside of the upperand a wiper or wipers by which the upper is wiped down from the outside upon the bottom of the last. Devices of this kind, operating in this general way, are described in my Letters Patent No. 324,304..

My present improvement contemplates stretching and drawing the upper by the conjoint action of the two devices named, in such manner that the wiper shall advance into the interval between the former and the last and shall butt against the edge of the upper,which will thus be tucked into the space between the former and the last and will be pinched between the wiper and former. As the upper is thus nipped or pinched between the two,the

, further advance of the wiper or wipers will have the effect of stretching and drawing the upper. When this operation has been carried far enough,the temporary former is removed, the wipers holding down the edges of the upper in place on the last, and being subse quently still further advanced, if needed, in order to wipe the edges more completely down, after which the edges may be fastened in place by any known or approved means.

This method of lasting is designed more particularly for lasting the toe or heel of the upper, or both; but it may be applied to lasting the whole shoe. The wiper may be in one piece, or there may be a gang of wipers surrounding the last more or less. The temporary former is made adjustable to different distances above the bottom of the last, and is made vertically yielding in a slight degree, so that after its adjustment it may conform itself to different thicknesses of leather in the upper.

The accompanying drawings represent a machine which may be used with good results in practicing my invention.

Figure 1 is a side elevation, partly in section, ofthe upper portion of the machine. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3is asection on line 3 3, Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is an elevation showing diagrammatically the position assumed by the parts when the wiper has advanced far enough to tuck the edge of the upper between the temporary former and the last.

Ais the supporting-standard ofthe machine.

B is the temporary former having the out. line in this instance of the toe of the last.

0 is the wiper.

D is the toe-rest for the last, and E the heelpost mounted on an angle-lever which is con trolled by a treadle, as usual, through the intermediary of aconnecting-rod, F. The temporary former is vertically adjustable by being mounted on the lower end of a screwthreaded shaft, G, vertically movable in bearings in a bracketarm, H, but incapable of rotation by reason of a spline-and-groove conneotion with said arm. It is moved up and down to different distances above the bottom of the last by an adjusting-nut, I, mounted in the arm, and is prevented from descending too far by check-nuts J J. The adjusting-nut I is held in position in a recess in the outer portion of arm H by means of a tongue, as, on the arm, which enters an annular groove, y, in the nut, the tongue being of less thickness than the width of the groove. The nut does not reach to the top of the recess in which it is held, there being above it a space, a, in which is a spring, b, which normally holds the nut in its lowest position. The bracket-arm swings on a vertical pivot, K, on an extension may be beveled somewhat, as shown, so thatv when advanced far enough it may pinch the leather between it and the last sufficiently to prevent the upper from drawing back after the former is swung to one side. The last X is placed in position with the edges of the upper standing up around and above its bottom, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1. The

temporary former is adjusted so as to be inside the space bounded by these edges. The wiper is then advanced. It tucks the edges in between the former and last, as indicated in Fig. 4, pinches the outer edges between it and the former, and while thus biting the leather draws the upper tightly up into place. The temporary former is then raised and swung to one side, and the upper is secured to the last in any known way.

I have described the manner in whichI now on the whole prefer to carry my invention into effect; but it is manifest that the construction and arrangement of the devices employed can be widely varied without departure from the invention.

The wiper is represented as a solid piece; but it may consist of sections, as in my aforesaid Letters Patent.

Furthermore,the invention can be employed not merely to last the toe of the shoe, but the heel also, and,indeed,the whole of the shoe,if desired, by such adaptations of the temporary former and wipers as will be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which this invention relates.

I do not,therefore,restrict myself to the details shown and described in illustration of my invention; but,

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. The described improvement in the art of lasting boots and shoes consisting in applying a temporary former to the inside of the edge of the upper projecting above the last, then tucking said edge between the said former and the bottom of the last and pinching it of leather, in combination with the wiper or wipers and last-supporting devices, substantially as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

5. The temporary former and its swinging supporting arm, in combination with the wiper or wipers and last-supporting devices, substantially as hereinbefore set forth.

6. The adjustable and vertically-yielding temporary former and its swinging supporting-arm, in combination with the wiper or wipers and last-supporting devices, substantiaily as and for the purposes hereinbefore set forth.

In testimony whereofI have signed my name to this specification,in the presence of two subscribing witnesses, on this 2d day of October, A. D. 1885.

WV. 0. GROSS. Witnesses:

ll/IAROELLUS BAILEY, J. E. VAN DOREN. 

